Carriage-top attachment.



P. FELIX. CARRIAGE TOP ATTACHMENT. APPLIGATION FILED APR. 2a, 1908.

921,530. Patented May 11,1909.

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PAUL FELIX, OF KENNER, LOUISIANA.

CARRIAGE-TOP ATTACHMENT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 11, 1909.

Application filed April 28, 1908. Serial No. 429,659.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, PAUL FELIX, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenner, in the parish of Jefferson and State of Louisiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carriage-Top Attachments; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in attachments for hinged joints, and is primarily designed to provide a clamp for holding the hinged joints of a carriage top rigidly in position.

It will be understood that the hinged connections for the frame of a carriage top will become so worn that the carriage top will fold down upon being jarred either through roughness in roads or by being unintentionally struck, which causes annoyance and inconvenience to the occupant of the carriage.

The primary object of the present invention is to overcome such inconveniences and to provide a means for rigidly holding the hinged arms in position.

While the invention is not restricted to the exact details shown and described, still for the purpose of disclosure reference is had to the accompanying drawings illustrating a practical embodiment of the invention, in which drawings like characters designate the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 designates a view, in side elevation, of the buggy top with the improved attachment applied. Fig. 2 is a local view showing the improved attachment, on an enlarged scale, as applied to the side arms of the buggy top, holding said arms rigidly locked in their extended or open position. Fig. 3 is a local view showing the attachment removed from the top side arm, with said side arms appearing in a partially folded position and with the attachment swung around out of the way. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the improved attachment, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of the same partly in section.

The improved attachment is shown in the drawings as comprising a two part member, the lower portion of which is bifurcated to straddle the lower side arm 2 of the carriage top, and the bifurcated ends are provided with apertures 3 to receive a pivot or pin 4 passing therethrough and through an aperture formed in said arm 2 of the carriage top. The upper portion 5 is hinged to the lower portion 1 through the medium of a stiff hinged member 6, and this upper portion 5 is provided with forward and rear bifurcated extensions 7 and 8, the ends of which are apertured as at 9 and 10, the apertures 10 being screw-threaded to receive the screw-threaded ends of transversely disposed screws 11 and 11 The inside faces of the three bifurcated extensions 1, 7 and 8 may be provided with a suitable material 12, such as felt or the like, to prevent the inside faces of the bifurcated extensions from scratching the side arms of the carriage top.

In operation, and in referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be observed that the attachment in the position shown with the bifurcated forward extension 7 straddling the upper arm 13 of the hinged side arm of the carriage top and with screw 11 disposed for ward of said upper arm, then, in view of the fact that the hinged side arm of the carriage top bows backward, said hinged side arms are rigidly locked in their extended position. When it is desired to fold down the carriage top the screw 11 is withdrawn and the attachment may be swung around on its pivot 4 and the rear bifurcated extension 8 is made to straddle the lower arm 2, and the screw 1 1 may then be inserted on the forward face of the lower arm as shown more clearly in Fig. 3. The attachment is allowed to be swung around in this out of the way position by virtue of the stiff hinged connection 6, although it is obvious the attachment may be made in one piece if the bifurcated lower end of the attachment extends substantially the length of the attachment, as the slot therein would then allow the same to swing around in the same position as Fig. 3. It will be understood that such a clamp may be attached to the top hinged arm as well as to the side arm.

It will be obvious, that instead of providing a two part member hinged together, that one of the sides of the lower bifurcated end might be dispensed with and the attachment made in an integral piece and pivoted to operate on one side of the buggy arm only, the upper bifurcated extensions being offset to allow this.

What I claim is- 1. In a carriage top having arms pivoted at one of their ends to a part of the carriage and at their other ends secured to each other by a hinge connection consisting of a horizontal pivot; a fastening attachment for said arms comprising a member secured at one end, to one of said arms on one side of said hinge connection, by a horizontal pivot parallel to said first horizontal pivot said attachment being provided at its free end with a bifurcated extension detachably straddling said other arm, with means for rigidly securing said extension to said arm; and said fastening attachment being located and disposed to swing at the rear of said arms in a vertical plane at right angles to said horizontal' pivots, substantially as described.

2'. A carriage top attachment for the purpose described bifurcated at its lower end and provided with abifurcated extensionat its upper end, the lower bifurcation being adapted to straddle and to be pivotally connected to one of a pair of hinged arms of the carriage top, and the said bifurcated extension being adapted to straddle the other of said hinged arms, with means for rigidly securing said extension to said latter arm, and the whole being arranged and disposed at the rear of said arms and swinging in a vertical plane extending longitudinally through said arms, substantially as described.

3. carriage top attachment for the purpose described, comprising a member pivotally connected at one end to one of a pair of hinged arms and at its other end provided with a pair of oppositely disposed bifurcated and apertured' extensions, one of said bifurcated extensions being adapted to straddle the other of said pair of hinged arms to hold said" arms rigidly locked in their extended position, and the other of said bifurcated extensions adapted to straddle the first mentioned arm of said pair to hold said attachment out of the way when the carriage top is folded down, and attaching screws cooperating with said apertures in said bifurcated extensions to lock said extensions to said carriage arms when straddling same, substantially as described.

l, An attachment for thepu-rpose de-' scribed, comprising a bifurcated l-ower mem ber, and an upper member hinged thereto having oppositely disposed bifurcated and apertured extensions, the apertures of said extensions being screw-threaded to coopejrate with securing screws, substantially as de-1 scribed. l

5. Anattachment as set forth,v comprising a member having a bifurcated lower end and provided atits upper end with oppositely disposed bifurcated extensions cooperating with means for securing said extensions to the hinged arms of a carriage top, the inside faces of said bifurcations beingprovided with a protective material, substantially as de- SCElb6(l-.-

In testimony whereof ,1} affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL FELIX.- Witnesses: I

LAZA-RD 1mm, F. BLOCK. 

